DARK ESSENCE RECORDS plans to make their annual Inferno Festival event a little different this year when they join forces with sister label KARISMA RECORDS to showcase two of their bands each at Blå on Wednesday 16th April. “We are always conscious of the fact that while many of Dark Essence’s artists such as TAAKE tour frequently, and fans in Europe have a good chance of seeing them live, the Karisma artists tend to tour much less, so we thought that this year we would open up the event to give their fans a chance to see some of them, and introduce them to Dark Essence’s fans at the same time”, commented the label’s Martin Kvam.

SLEGEST – Photo by Ørjan Talle and Håvard Nesbø

Representing Dark Essence will be two bands whose recent releases have been getting rave reviews from press and fans alike. First up will be SLEGEST, the new project from former VREID guitarist Ese, who has skilfully blended classic heavy rock and old-school black metal to produce a sound that is both dark and sinister, and with an unmistakably down and dirty catchy groove that weaves its way through the music. Originally started as a one-man project, once the debut full-length album “Løyndom” was released at the end of 2013, it quickly became clear that the demand from fans to see SLEGEST perform live was such that Ese was persuaded to form a fully functioning band. More information about SLEGEST can be found at https://www.facebook.com/slegest

The official video for the track “Ho Som Haustar Aleine” from SLEGEST’s “Løyndom” can be seen below:

ALFAHANNE

Joining them will be Sweden’s ALFAHANNE, whose lineup includes members of bands such as VINTERLAND and early MAZE OF TORMENT, and who have come together to play what they themselves have called ”Alfapocalyptic Rock”, a fascinating and hard-hitting mix of Black Metal, Classic Rock and Punk with some Goth influences . Their high-energy live performances have garnered them much praise. Making a guest appearance on stage with ALFAHANNE, will be HELHEIM‘s V’gandr who performed vocals on one of the tracks from the band’s new album “Alfapokalyps” . It is a tribute to ALFAHANNE that they were able to attract not only V’gandr to make a guest appearance on the album, but also Dark Essence label-mates Hoest from TAAKE and Niklas Kvarforth from SHINING. More information about ALFAHANNE can be found at https://www.facebook.com/alfahanneofficial

The track “Såld På Mörkret” from ALFAHANNE’s album ”Alfapocalyptic Rock” and which features TAAKE’s Hoest on guest vocals can be heard here:

AIRBAG

Making an appearance for Karisma will be two bands, representing the new and the established. Lovers of Prog Rock cannot fail to recognise the name of AIRBAG, a band known the world-over for an exquisite musical craftsmanship that enables its musicians to create a sonic experience ranging from massive walls of sound, to ambient textures and soulful soundscapes, both in the studio and on stage. The release of AIRBAG’s third full-length album “The Greatest Show on Earth” at the end of last year confirmed the band’s status in the world of prog, earning them many accolades. Inferno will be one of the very few chancesthat to catch this incredible band live this year so it is an opportunity that should not be missed. One for fans of ANATHEMA. More information about AIRBAG can be found at http://www.airbagsound.com/

The title track from AIRBAG’s album “The Greatest Show on Earth” can be heard here:

SEVEN IMPALE

The second of the Karisma bands is one of their latest signings, SEVEN IMPALE. The release of the digital EP “Beginning/Relieve” last year gave an indication of the multi-faceted nature of these young musicians. With its member drawn from a range of disciplines including classical orchestra, big band, metal, jazz, rock and electronic music, their sound ranges from progressive and jazzy to the softer and more melodic to the harder and edgier. They bring a freshness and enthusiasm to their live performances, and it is anticipated that their debut full-length album later this year will more than meet expectations, setting them apart from many other new arrivals on the scene. If you are a fan of Norway’s SHINING, SEVEN IMPALE is definitely a band you will want to check out. More information about SEVEN IMPALE can be found at https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale

The title track from SEVEN IMPALE’s “Beginning/Relieve” EP can be heard below:

Scheduled performances for the Dark Essence Records / Karisma Records artists at Inferno Festival, which will take place at Blå, Brennereiven 9C, Oslo, Norway, on Wednesday 16th April as follows:

Bergen-based DARK ESSENCE RECORDS, the Norwegian label whose roster features not only some of the most respected and long- standing Black and Extreme Metal artists in the business, but also some of the most talented upcoming bands, showcases no less than seven of its bands at this year’s Inferno Festival. One of Europe’s foremost music festivals Inferno takes place annually in Oslo, and this year runs for four days from the 27th to the 30th March http://www.infernofestival.net

Opening night of the festival, which is effectively the club night, sees four of the bands appearing at Blå . Post Rockers KRAKOW (http://www.krakowofficial.com), whose critically acclaimed sophomore album “diin” was release in Autumn of last year, kick off the evening at 21:00, followed by Melodic Extreme Metallers COR SCORPII (http://www.corscorpii.net), who are currently working on their next album. Third band on will be VULTURE INDUSTRIES (http://www.vulture-industries.net), a band whose skilled interpretation of avant-garde extreme metal, coupled with the highly theatrical and manic performance of frontman Bjornar Nilsen, makes for a fascinating live show. Topping the bill will be HELHEIM (http://helheim.com) one of the original Norwegian Viking Metal bands who celebrate their historical roots both in their music and in the visual effects used in their live performances, and who have been together for over twenty years. Information about how to get to Blå can be found at http://www.blaaoslo.no

Thursday 28th sees another band celebrate its twentieth anniversary when TAAKE headlines on the Rockefeller stage at 23:00. TAAKE frontman HOEST will also be holding a signing session at 15:00 in the Shadowland record store (http://www.shadowland.no), Torggata 36 (200 meters from the Rockefeller). Formed in 1993, TAAKE’s contribution to the Norwegian Black Metal Scene has been considerable; with founder Hoest remaining true to his Black Metal roots, whilst still being able to breathe life and originality into the genre even after twenty years. The band recently released “Gravkamre, Kroner og Troner” (Tombs, Crowns and Thrones), a double Anniversary CD which feature exclusive new tracks as well as rare and previously unreleased material, alternative versions of previously released tracks and recordings that have, until now, only been available on vinyl. More information about TAAKE athttp://taake.svartekunst.no

AETERNUS will hit the Rockeffeler stage on Friday 29th at 19:45, a few days in advance of the release of “…And The Seventh His Soul Detesteth”, the band’s seventh full-length album.Founded in 1993 by guitarist and frontman Ares, AETERNUS has re-emerged seven years after the release of their last album “Hexaeon” with a new line up that comprises Ares on guitars and vocals, Phobos (GRAVDAL, MALSAIN) on drums and Specter on guitars. One of the pioneers of what the band calls “Dark Metal”, AETERNUS’ sound combines features from both Black Metal and Death Metal with superlative guitar playing and occasional haunting, melodic interludes. More information about AETERNUS can be found athttps://www.facebook.com/Aeternusofficial

Saturday 30th, the last day of the festival, also sees the last of the DARK ESSENCE RECORDS bands to appear. HADES ALMIGHTY will play on the Rockefeller Stage at 19:45, and, incidentally, they were one of the bands who performed at the very first Inferno Festival in 2001. Apart from the occasional live appearance from the trio of Janto on Bass and Lead Vocals, Jorn on Guitars and Synth and Remi on Drums and vocals, things have been relatively quiet since the re-release in 2004 of their 2001 classic “The Pulse of Decay”, but the band has been busy behind the scenes working on the next album. More information about HADES ALMIGHTY can be found at http://www.hades-almighty.com/

Tracks from all the releases of the above bands on DARK ESSENCE RECORDS can be heard below.

Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON will perform an exclusive and special long set featuring songs from their upcoming album during an appearance at next year’s edition of the Inferno festival, set to take place March 27-30, 2013 at the Rockefeller, John Dee, Rock In, Blå, Unholy, Victoria and Revolver venues in Oslo, Norway. Also scheduled to appear are SOLEFALD, TAAKE, AETERNUS, PURIFIED IN BLOOD, DISKORD and IN VAIN.

In a June 2012 interview with MetalSickness.com, SATYRICON frontman Sigurd “Satyr” Wongraven stated about the band’s decision to take a long break after completing its last extensive tour in 2009, “I felt that the cycle of SATYRICON had become very something different from what I wanted it to be. It became like this: write, rehearse, record, promote, tour, finish. [Then again] write, rehearse, record, promote, tour, finish. And again and again and again. And I came to a point in 2009 where I went, like, ‘What’s the point of this? Is this why I started [playing music]? Definitely not.’ This was never my goal to come in a situation like this. It’s not like I dreamt about living on a bus. It was not my goal in life. Or to live my life in a suitcase. Or in a backstage. It was never my plan. My plan was to write music, record music and release music and then do the occasional show and tour, but this became like a clusterfuck of events — all the time something going on and all this pressure all the time, especially from everyone around us. Plus, I also think that when you’re working so intensely, there’s sort of this tear-and-wear to people on a personal level. And also, as the leader of a company or a sports team or a metal band, you also have a responsibility to make some decisions that might be popular but unnecessary. And for those who just want to go on the road and play all the time, they don’t want to have a break, and our agent and record company, they certainly didn’t want any break. But for me, it became almost like a choice between quitting as a band or taking a break.”

SATYRICON‘s latest album, “The Age Of Nero” (2008), entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 73. It also landed on the national chart in Norway at position No. 5. This was SATYRICON‘s lowest chart entry in the band’s home country since “Rebel Extravaganza”, which premiered at No. 32 in 1999. “Volcano” (2002) entered the chart at No. 4, while 2006’s “Now, Diabolical” came in at No. 2.

Tickets for Inferno 2012 are now available for purchase both in Norway and abroad. Tickets for Norwegian residents can be purchased through Billettservice, while fans from other countries can purchase using PayPal. If you buy using PayPal the tickets will be shipped to you by regular postal services.

The festival is 18 years of age and up. Some club day venues have a 20 year age limit.

TRIPTYKON and ONE TAIL, ONE HEAD have been confirmed for next year’s edition of the Inferno festival, set to take place April 4-7, 2012 at the Rockefeller and John Dee venues in Oslo, Norway.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

The Inferno metal festival has become a true black Easter tradition for metal fans, bands and music industry from all over the world with nearly 50 concerts every year since the start back in 2001. The festival offers exclusive concerts in unique surroundings with some of the best extreme metal bands and experimental artists in the world, from the new and underground to the legendary giants. At Inferno you meet up with fellow metalheads for four days of head banging, party, black-metal sightseeing and expos, horror films, art exhibitions and all the unholy treats your dark heart desires.

Fan-filmed video footage of DJERV — the Norwegian band featuring singer Agnete Kjølsrud of ANIMAL ALPHA, drummer Erlend Gjerde of STONEGARD and WARDRUNA and guitarist Stian Kårstad of TRELLDOM — performing on April 22, 2011 at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway during the Inferno festival can be viewed below.

“Madman”, the new single from DJERV, is available for free download at this location. The song comes off the group’s debut album, which will be released in June via Indie Recordings (except in Poland and Czech Republic, where the CD will be made available through Mystic Production).

Sigurd “Satyr” Wongraven, renowned vocalist/guitarist of the Norwegian black metal band SATYRICON, will host an informal wine-tasting event during this year’s Inferno Festival at the Clarion Royal Christiania hotel in Oslo, Norway on Friday, April 22 from 15.30 to 17.00. Satyr will introduce his own wines and share his passion for well-made traditional wines. This tasting event is suitable for anyone who likes wine.

Wongraven last year partnered with Luca Roagna (pictured below with Satyr), a fifth-generation winemaker from Piedmont, Italy, to launch Satyr‘s own brand of wine. Wongraven chose the best wines from the Roagna winery and made them available with his name on each bottle in gothic letters and black background with an outline illustration of the devil on the label.

Wongraven and Roagna first met in the spring of 2003 while SATYRICON was on tour in Italy and spent several months last year creating two classic wines that represent a combination of Roagna‘s skilled vineyard work and Satyr‘s vision of traditional Piedmontese wines.

“When I explain my role in the process to musician friends who have no knowledge of wine, I tell them that Luca created the songs and recorded the album, while I mixed it,”Wongraven told Adressa.no in an interview.

Authenticity is the common denominator in Satyr‘s music and wine.

Wongraven admits that he himself is skeptical when he sees other people lending their names to wine brands.

“I think that people who know me understand why I have chosen to lend my name to these wines,” he explained. “I have made wines that I am proud of.”

Wongraven is currently working on a book about wine, to be released in the fall.